REAL PEOPLE, REAL ISSUES

192 posts categorized "Lifestyle, LGBT"

July 16, 2012

Gay R&B Vocalist Rahsaan Patterson Applauds 'Courageous’ Frank Ocean As the debate rages on whether or not Frank Ocean truly came out as gay, bisexual or was just detailing his personal memories of falling in love with a male friend four years ago, the fallout has truly been surreal. Before the buzz-heavy R&B vocalist posted a July 4 letter addressing rumors of his sexuality, Ocean tweeted of his conversation-igniting revelation, “my hope is that the babies born these days will inherit less of the bullshit than we did I figured it’d be good to clarify.”

Rahsaan Patterson can more than identify with Frank Ocean. The veteran R&B singer—who scored a top 50 Billboard album and strong radio airplay in 1997 with his self-titled debut—was one of the first African-American soul artists to come out officially as gay during a 2007 interview with BET.com. For Patterson, Ocean’s statement represents a big moment. “I thought Frank coming out was bold; I thought it was courageous,” Patterson tells VIBE. “Particularly since he reps more of the hip-hop realm I found it even more courageous because that’s an area that a lot of folks that support hip-hop and the lifestyle of hip-hop don’t like to really confront and address. Kudos to him.”

Reactions within the R&B/hip-hop community to Ocean’s public statement have been surprisingly on the positive side (Solange Knowles tweeted “I salute you, brave soul. Independence Day” and veteran Queens rhymer Cormega offered, "Frank Ocean is more honest than the average industry person!"). Still, amongst the general African-American music buying public Ocean’s announcement has been a hard pill to swallow (derogatory comments like “Frank Ocean is gay. It’s been confirmed…So no more listening to him” have been omnipresent on the Web).

Historically, African-American musicians have rarely been upfront about their sexuality. For every Sylvester (the flamboyant disco icon never tried to hide the fact that he was gay) there is a Luther Vandross (the legendary vocalist reportedly kept his homosexuality a secret until his 2005 death). And in the overtly masculine world of hip-hop, homosexuality is viewed as a death knell; the sort of news that can literally derail a career. On the flipside, white pop and rock acts like David Bowie, Elton John, and Melissa Eldridge have experienced a more positive acceptance after coming out. It’s a dichotomy that bothers Patterson. READ MORE

September 26, 2011

We’re not going to pretend this was an easy topic for Black Enterprise to consider. Let’s face it—the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community is one of which our society whispers, mocks, ignores, and, in extreme cases, vehemently rejects. For Black members of this community, the emotional backlash can be even more intense. Editor-at-Large Carolyn M. Brown and I spent months producing this feature. Due to the topic’s controversial nature, we had some difficulty finding subjects. Even some of those who agreed to participate in our cover story, “Black and Gay in Corporate America,” felt some trepidation about how revealing their sexual orientation would affect relationships with family, friends, and associates outside the workplace.

Who is the gay Black professional? If you were to rely on media images, they are overtly flamboyant and dramatic male hairstylists and fashion designers. Depictions are often skewed comedic renderings of members of a community who in real life too often lead separate lives to buffer themselves—and their families—from ridicule. “Many professionals are out in their community but private in the world,” says Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, executive director and CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization that seeks to empower the African American LGBT population. “There’s a healthy Black, educated professional class of the gay, lesbian, and transgender community in this country. But there’s no recognition of their existence. There’s no protection for their rights—for silent or overt discrimination. Black people in general treat the existence of gays and lesbians and transgender people in the African American community like ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” the former U.S. policy governing homosexuality in the military.

That code of silence has been the mode in which many LGBT employees have operated for decades. It’s one of the reasons we structured our 40 Best Companies for Diversity differently this year. In addition to listing companies based on the percentage of African American and ethnic minority employees, senior managers, and board members, and on the procurement spend with Black and minority firms, we identified those corporations that also made the Human Rights Campaign’s Best Places to Work list for LGBT employees. It’s an indication that these firms believe in the power of full inclusion, and also that they’re choosing not to overlook an $800 billion-plus market.

What also drove the development of our feature is the growing number of professionals who have decided to share with the world their true selves (see sidebar on CNN anchor Don Lemon). Advocacy is never an easy journey, particularly when an individual has been thrust into such a position. The need to live behind a protective shield is very real to those who have suffered rejection, embarrassment, humiliation, and sometimes even violence. Sometimes, however, it becomes evident that coming forward with a personal testimony and an example of success could help improve the lot of others. We developed this feature to communicate that anyone can make a significant contribution. They just need to gain the opportunity to stand up and be counted. READ MORE...

June 26, 2011

June 20, 2011

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS McIlroy captures history at CongressionalRory McIlroy posts the lowest mark in tournament history, shooting a final-round 69 for a total of 16-under 268, as he runs away with the 111th U.S. Open. (By Barry Svrluga)

CEO Pay: What the area’s executives makeHefty stock awards and bonuses drove total compensation up over 20 percent for Washington’s highest-paid chief executives last year, reflecting a nationwide trend among the largest public companies. (By Danielle Douglas)

STYLEAsk Amy: Words of love, uttered and ... forgotten? During a weekend outing, her boyfriend told her he loved her, would marry her “in a week” and wanted her to have his baby. The next day, he couldn’t remember what he said. Yes, there was drinking involved. (, Tribune Media Service)

Hints From Heloise: Special guest request Heloise asks: Is it fair to ask for unusual, specialty or hard-to-find food items when you are a guest in someone’s home? Readers, what do you have to say? (, King)

Calm by the green, crazed by the pitch At the U.S. Open and the Gold Cup, vastly dissimilar cultures were on display — entirely different, yet very much the same. ( by Rick Maese , The Washington Post)

FTC vs. National Gallery Republican lawmaker’s push to have the National Gallery take over the historic FTC building has sparked a turf battle in Washington. ( by Ned Martel , The Washington Post)

Sunday's Sports In Brief BETHESDA, Md. — On another brilliant day of golf, Rory McIlroy ran away with the U.S. Open title, winning by eight shots and breaking the tournament scoring record by a whopping four strokes. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

WORLDReports: Japan's prime minister under pressure to resign next month TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, criticized for his handling of the tsunami disaster and the country’s sluggish economy, is under pressure to resign next month if budget bills are passed by parliament, reports said Monday. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

June 15, 2011

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTSA tough mission in AfghanistanA low-key Marine, Gen. John R. Allen, is set to take over the war at high-stakes moment.(By Craig Whitlock)

Nuclear waste dump is mired in inertiaYucca Mountain is a case study in government dysfunction and bureaucratic inertia. The project dates back three decades. It has not solved the problem of nuclear waste.(By Joel Achenbach and Brian Vastag)

Bachmann basks in newfound momentumRep. Michele Bachmann enjoyed a day of fundraising, media exposure and glowing analysis of her newfound momentum on Tuesday, following a strong presidential debate performance.(By Amy Gardner and Sandhya Somashekhar)

States seeking to save on MedicaidRepublican governors step up their resistance to rules requiring states to maintain current levels of health-care coverage for the poor and disabled under Medicaid.(By Michael A. Fletcher)

Graduating from elementary school?Dozens of elementary students in the D.C. area are celebrating what some critics call graduation inflation, the growth of ceremonies to mark the end of elementary school. (By Steve Hendrix)

Detainee who provided key information about bin Laden courier rejoins al-QaidaWASHINGTON — The terrorist described as the linchpin in the hunt for Osama bin Laden has rejoined al-Qaida after the Bush administration released him from a secret CIA secret prison under pressure from Pakistan, according to former and current U.S. intelligence officials. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Detainee who provided key information about bin Laden courier rejoins al-QaidaWASHINGTON — The terrorist described as the linchpin in the hunt for Osama bin Laden has rejoined al-Qaida after the Bush administration released him from a secret CIA secret prison under pressure from Pakistan, according to former and current U.S. intelligence officials. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Ask Amy: Military couple failing basic trainingA military couple who live in separate states, decided to set up joint checking and savings accounts to strengthen their bond. Alas, one side didn’t practice complete transparency. (, Tribune Media Service)

Tuesday's Sports In BriefNEW YORK — An end to the NFL lockout might not be imminent, but it does appears much closer than at any point in the last three months. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Attack on Afghan governor’s office kills 8MAIDAN SHAR, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber killed eight people and wounded four in a strike Wednesday on the governor’s office in a northeastern province, while a mortar targeted a building where NATO and Afghan officials were attending the inauguration of the country’s largest police training center in central Afghanistan. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

UK government to back proposals to separate banksLONDON — The British government intends to force banks to insulate their retail operations from their more volatile investment banking, a Treasury source confirmed Wednesday. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

May 31, 2011

PLAINFIELD - Maurice Murrell’s mother says she knew from an early age that her son was gay.

What she couldn’t have known then was that he would grow up to become a renowned model and actor, not to mention a popular figure in the urban LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community. Or that it just might have been her love, acceptance and nurturing that helped get him there.

It’s part of what made it so difficult for Sheryl Murrell and her son’s many fans when he died this week at the age of 32.

“I knew before he was four years old what his sexuality was,” Murrell, a Piscataway resident, said. “We love him. And if you love your child, you have to love them the way they are.”

An illness that remained undiagnosed to the end claimed her son’s life, Murrell said, adding that he died in a local hospital surrounded by family members and friends.

“Everything they (doctors) thought it possibly could be was ruled out,” she said. “But he was extremely tired and was not the same person for the last two years. He was still smiling, he would stay positive, he would say he was OK, even though you could see he was not.”

Fans flocked by the hundreds to Murrell’s Facebook page this week to express shock and dismay about his death, which interrupted a career on the rise. Murrell appeared on the cover of the popular LGBT magazine Clik in 2006, then in 2009 starred in “Finding Me,” a film about a young gay man living in New York City and struggling to come to terms with his father’s homophobia. Murrell also starred in the film’s sequel, which is slated for a September release.

“I still have all this footage behind the scenes, with pictures and audio,” said Roger Omeus Jr. of Jersey City, the writer and director of both films. “I’m still hearing his voice, seeing him interact with people.”

Omeus called Murrell a “larger than life” personality who still came off as accessible.

“It’s funny, because the perception of Maurice after he played the character in my film was that he was very catty and mean, even vicious in certain ways,” Omeus said. “He played the part so well that people wanted to tag Maurice as that, when he was actually the complete opposite of that character.”

“He lifted your spirit just by his presence,” agreed Maurice Jamal, president of GLO TV, which is marketed as the nation’s first urban LGBT television network.

“In a community that faces so many challenges … Maurice reminded you that being gay was OK – that it could be fun, that it could be loving, that it could be joyous,” Jamal said.

Family members recalled Murrell as having seemingly endless reserves of energy as a child, a characteristic that clearly carried over into his adult life – in addition to modeling and acting, he also worked as a personal trainer and bartender, and enjoyed baking and traveling in what little spare time was left over.

“We had a stationary bike and as a child he would get on that thing and stay up there pedaling it all day,” recalled Geneva McCleod of Piscataway, Murrell’s aunt.

“He was always very artistic, too … he could really draw and paint,” added Ebony Sacenda, Murrell’s cousin who works in a Plainfield charter school. “He could dance, he acted – he always put on shows for the family, just making up routines.”

One of those routines carried Murrell and Sacenda to a 1996 performance at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater, she recalled. They were booed off the stage when their musical accompaniment faltered, Sacenda said, but it didn’t even seem to bother him.

“He wanted to go back on,” she said. “I refused.”

Later in life Murrell would become known perhaps best for his statuesque physique, but he wasn’t always so sculpted, friends said. Eric Jones, a Plainfield native who now works for the city’s school system, said he was a junior at The College of New Jersey when he met Murrell, an incoming freshman at the time.

“He was very meek, shy, even scrawny at first,” Jones said. “He just reinvented himself. He went to Bally’s on Route 22 every day working out.”

Jones recalled Murrell’s kindness first and foremost, describing him as someone who would help strangers home from bars if they appeared too intoxicated to drive.

“The very first thing that ever caught my eye about him was that everybody just loved this guy. Everybody wanted to be around him,” Jones said. “He had this ability to truly accept himself for whoever he was and to help you embrace whoever you were.”

“I don’t think I could say a bad thing about him,” agreed Eugene Turner, an actor who co-starred with Murrell in “Finding Me.” “Maurice was probably one of the sweetest people on the planet.”

Murrell’s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday morning at St. John’s Baptist Church in Scotch Plains.

“Maurice lived a good, exciting life,” Sheryl Murrell said of her only child. “He was just a beautiful human being, but he had an old soul. I don’t know what it was about me to be so blessed to have him.”

February 25, 2010

By Clay Cane ~ Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and Katharine Hepburn could all come back
from the dead to do battle on Oscar night, and they still might have
trouble ripping that gold statuette from Mo'Nique's clutches. Her
searing performance as a mentally ill mother in Lee Daniels’s six-time
Oscar nominated film Precious is about as close as it gets to a sure thing on Oscar night.

With
Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award wins already under her belt,
things couldn't get much better for Mo’, who is also making headlines
as the host of The Mo’Nique Show. Her BET talk show makes her
only the second black woman to venture into late night (Whoopi Goldberg
did it first, and Wanda Sykes started a few weeks later).

A
lifelong supporter of gay causes and AIDS awareness, the sassy woman
who once shouted “skinny bitches are evil" from the mountaintops found
time to chat it up with Advocate.com about Precious, her talk show, and homophobia in the church — with a prophecy that God has plans to smack the shit out of some folks!Advocate.com: Back in April of 2009 I attended a BET event, which is where The Mo'nique Show
was first announced. While talking to the audience, which was a bit of
a conservative crowd, you mentioned how your show is for everyone and
even said the gay community. Some people only support gay audiences in
front of gay audiences.Mo'Nique: [Laughs] That’s funny — yes!

Why is it important for you to be inclusive?Because
love conquers all. Who you choose to live your life with — that’s not
my concern, nor is it my business. I think we should just love each
other as human beings. We get caught up in the foolishness. I believe
if we would just start loving each other as human beings, we would be
in a much better position.

Recently on your talk show
you had R&B singer Miki Howard as a guest. Both of you said you
grew up with gay people in church and there wasn’t anything wrong with
it. That was so refreshing to hear. Could you elaborate on your
experiences with gays in the church?I actually was not a
person that grew up in church — that’s what Miki was saying and I was
agreeing. Now, I know a lot of folks that go to church and are gay. I
tell them, “God don’t make no mistakes, baby, and we keep using it when
it’s convenient.” If we are all made in his image, there are no
mistakes. I think it’s absolute foolishness, just in my humble opinion,
when people make statements like, “It’s blasphemy and you’re going to
hell!” Really? And I’m a child of God — do you think God set me up?
I’ve never bought in to it. With gays and church, I think there are so
many of our brothers and sisters that’s in pain because they go to a
place to receive nurturing, the love of God, and you start hearing that
you’re going to hell because of who you were made to be. I just don’t
buy that! CONTINUE READING...

August 26, 2009

By Clay Cane Author and
musician Tim’m T. West talks about being an
HIV-positive rapper, educating gay youths, his
successful music career, and what he’d trade it
all for.

Tim’m T.
West revolutionizes nearly everything he touches. From his
2003 book, Red Dirt Revival: A Poetic Memoir in 6
Breaths, to his newest hip-hop album, In
Security: The Golden Error, the 37-year-old
Renaissance dude is relentless on his path of art,
education, and truth.

West has many
identities: Southerner, black, author, poet, rapper, gay,
and HIV-positive among them. A confident, talented, and
respected figure in both activism and art, West is the
keynote speaker at the National Association of People
With AIDS Positive Youth Institute in Denver August
13-14. In addition, he has a full-time gig as an
intervention specialist at the Fusion Center in Houston,
which works primarily with African-American men, ages
16 to 24, who have sex with men. Somehow he manages to
squeeze in music, books, and an appearance in the
Mario Van Peebles documentary on black male icons, Bring
Your ‘A’ Game.

West sat down
with Advocate.com to talk about his music, living with HIV,
and educating gay youths.

Advocate.com:You’ve released several hip-hop albums over the
years, and your latest is In Security: The Golden
Error. Do you have any desire to be mainstream?Tim’m T. West: Yes and no. Yes, in the fact
that I think I do really good work. I feel like my work is
good enough to be heard by larger populations of
people. In that sense, I would like for the messages
to get out there. A song like "Positive," where I talk
about my HIV status and I use being positive, which can
apply to you if you're HIV-positive but can also apply
if you are just trying to live life in a positive
light. To that extent, I would like to be mainstream.
Realistically, I understand the compromises that might need
to be made in order for that to happen. I’m not
willing to be closeted about my HIV status, sexuality,
or my political opinions. To that extent, it's a
marketing risk for some people who are trying to promote
projects. At the same time, I’m kind of hopeful
that somebody may catch wind of the music I've done
and go, "Hey, I think this guy would be really good for
hip-hop right now." I’m actually moving toward jazz
albums here on out [laughs]. So I’m
moving in some different directions.

The song “Positive” is on your last album,
Blakkboy Blue(s). Before you were
HIV-positive, what was your perception of being HIV-positive? I was one of those people who did a lot of HIV
and AIDS outreach. I had an awareness; I dated a few
people who were HIV-positive. I definitely had a
healthy and positive approach about people who were
positive. Interestingly enough, it wasn't a positive
person who infected me; it was someone who was
"negative." I think some of the paranoia and fear
driven HIV prevention efforts are not really useful. Fear
never keeps anybody from preventing themselves from
getting HIV. I think some real talk about sex and
choices is a better approach. I’m able to deal with
my HIV status a lot better because I didn't demonize
positive people. You can only imagine people who
talked negatively about HIV-positive people -- what
happens when they become positive? Do they then turn those
same messages on themselves? It can be this downward
spiral if you’ve told yourself all along that
people with HIV aren't worthy of being loved.

August 13, 2009

July 21, 2009

On
the morning of Sunday July 19, Outfest presented the Outfest 2009
Awards Ceremony at Level 3 in the Hollywood & Highland complex,
hosted by the charismatic and kindly acerbic Momma. 17 awards were
handed out in categories of Special Programming, Audience and Grand
Jury awards. Presenters included Craig Chester, Meredith Scott Lynn,
Calpernia Addams, Jill Bennett and Cathy DeBuono. Congratulations to
all the winners!

Special Programming AwardsThe Outfest 2009 Special Programming Award for Freedom
Sponsored by: Clear Channel
ON THESE SHOULDERS WE STAND, Directed by Glenne McElhinney

June 29, 2009

June 17, 2009

WASHINGTON — President
Barack Obama, under growing criticism for not seeking to end the ban on
openly gay men and women in the military, is extending benefits to
same-sex partners of federal employees. Obama plans to announce his
decision on Wednesday in the Oval Office, a White House official said
Tuesday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the
president hadn't yet signed the presidential memorandum. The official said Obama would release more details on Wednesday. The
decision is a political nod to a reliably Democratic voting bloc that
in recent weeks has grown frustrated with the White House's slow
movement on their priorities. Several powerful gay fundraisers
withdrew their support from a June 25 Democratic National Committee
event where Vice President Joe Biden is expected to speak. Their exit
came in response to a June 12 Justice Department brief that defended
the Defense of Marriage Act, a prime target for gay and lesbian
criticism. Justice lawyers argued that the law allowed states to reject
marriages performed in other states or countries that defy their own
standards. The legal arguments — including citing incest and sex
with minors — sparked rebellion among gay and lesbian activists who had
been largely biting their tongues since Obama won election. They had
objected to the Rev. Rick Warren's invitation to participate in the
inauguration despite his support for repealing gay marriage in
California. Their January protest won the invitation of
Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson, whose consecration as the first
openly gay bishop divided and almost split his denomination. Gays
and lesbians later fretted as the White House declined to intervene in
the cases of enlisted military members facing courts martial for
defying the Clinton-era "don't ask, don't tell" policies. White House
officials say they want Congress to repeal the policy as part of a
"lasting and durable" solution, instead of intervening on individual
cases. SOURCE:COMCAST.NET

May 27, 2009

(05-26) 14:30 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- California's voters, not its courts, are the final judges of same-sex couples' right to marry. And even if they're barred from marrying, gays and lesbians are not the victims of unconstitutional discrimination. Those were the two clearest messages in Tuesday's 6-1 ruling by the state Supreme Court that upheld Proposition 8, the November initiative that amended the California Constitution to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. They came from a court that had seemingly said something quite different a year earlier. In May 2008, a 4-3 majority led by Chief Justice Ronald George said California's voter-approved law that allowed only opposite-sex couples to marry violated the rights of gays and lesbians to choose their spouses and discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. Defenders of the law argued that it merely preserved the traditional definition of marriage and that same-sex couples who registered as domestic partners had all the rights of heterosexual married couples under state law. George responded then that denying gays and lesbians the "historic and highly respected designation of marriage" deprived their families of "equal dignity and respect." But on Tuesday - after an $85 million campaign that ended Nov. 4 with Prop. 8 winning 52 percent of the vote - George led a majority that declared the right to marry was not essential for gays' and lesbians' equality and that the people were the ultimate deciders of what should be included in their Constitution.

Same-sex weddings stand

The 18,000 same-sex couples married before Nov. 4 remain legally wed, the chief justice said in a unanimous portion of the ruling. Applying Prop. 8 retroactively to dissolve those marriages, he said, would disrupt "thousands of actions taken in reliance on (last year's ruling) by these same-sex couples, their employers, their creditors and many others." CONTINUE READING..

September 2012

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